


Life Just Got Interesting

by eievuiisms



Category: Captain Underpants Series - Dav Pilkey, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)
Genre: F/M, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-07-08 14:47:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15932624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eievuiisms/pseuds/eievuiisms
Summary: Just a series of one-shots - mostly regarding how being Captain Underpants affects Krupp's life.





	1. Dismissed

**Author's Note:**

> Note: these are NOT necessarily written in chronological order.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George & Harold suspect something's up when Mr. Krupp almost seems to be avoiding giving them attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this like several weeks ago when i was still newer to the fandom so i apologize if the characterization seems a little off-

If there was one thing George and Harold had learned during their time in Jerome Horwitz Elementary in regards to Mr. Krupp and his punishments was that receiving detentions was bad - but  _ not _ receiving them for several days despite their pranks was  _ worse _ .

There had been a weird shift in Mr. Krupp’s behaviour lately. He’d nearly been acting like his usual, cruel and mean-spirited self - but when it came to George and Harold, he had been...dismissive. Literally. For the past four days, it seemed no matter what those two seemed to do, he wouldn’t punish them. He’d simply say ‘dismissed’ and tell them to leave his office.

 

“What do you think’s up with him?” George asked Harold, the two having been sent to the office once again.

“I dunno. He might be up to something,” Harold replied.

“Probably.” Pause. “...But, uh...on the very,  _ very _ slim chance that he isn’t?”

The blond’s brows furrowed. “Well, that’d just be  _ weird _ , but if he isn’t, then-” He stopped in his tracks outside of the office, making George stop as well, and put a hand on his chin. “...Then we’ll make sure we get that detention, I guess. I mean, if he isn’t planning something and we bug him enough-”

“-We get the detention and know we’re safe,” George said, to which Harold nodded, as if to confirm he finished his thought exactly. “Sounds like a plan.”

 

The two had barely taken two steps into the principal’s office before Krupp, who was doing paperwork, muttered, “Dismissed. Go back to class.”

“What? You didn’t even hear what we-”

“-Whatever it  _ was _ , I don’t care. Go back to class.”

Despite the demand, Harold continued on into the office, hopping into one of the seats at the desk. “Come on, Mr. Krupp-”

“-Class.  _ Now _ ,” the man interrupted once again, not looking up from his work. As George sat in the seat next to Harold, they exchange a brief glance before Harold looked at the paperwork on the desk and promptly placed a hand over it, earning an irritated sigh.

“Just one detention,” Harold said, finally making Krupp look up, looking both annoyed and confused.

“...Excuse me?”

“Just one detention,” George repeated his friend’s words. “That is all we want right now.”

The principal stared at the two of them before shaking his head. “If this is another prank-”

“-It’s not!” the blond spoke up. “We’re serious!”

“And why, exactly, do you suddenly  _ want _ detention? Aren’t kids usually supposed to plead to  _ not _ get detention?”

“Yeah, but-”

“-You haven’t given us a detention in days!” George spoke up.

“So?” Krupp raised an unimpressed brow, placing his pen down since  _ clearly _ he wasn’t going to be doing paperwork at that moment.

“So, it’s - it’s  _ weird! _ ” Harold said.

“Especially for you!” George added.

“ _ Especially _ for you!” Harold repeated.

The man sat back, once again staring at the two, and once again shaking his head. “I honestly don’t have time to-”

“- _ Please _ , Mr. Krupp. Just  _ one _ detention,” Harold practically  _ did _ plead, removing his hand from the paper on the desk and folding his two hands together.

“I’m not-”

“-Please-”

“-No-”

“-Just one-”

“-I said  _ n _ -”

“- _ Just _ -”

“-Could you-”

“- _ One _ -”

 

“- _ Harold _ ,” Krupp finally hissed, managing to startle the boy into leaning back in his seat. The man may not have said it loudly like he usually might’ve, but that was exactly what had startled him. The principal closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “...You two want detention so bad?”

“Yes,” the boys said in unison, leaning forwards in their seats.

“Then,” Mr. Krupp said quietly, leaning forward in his seat as well, “How about detention...for turning me into some stupid comic book superhero?”

The colour drained from the boys’ faces, and they exchanged nervous glances before looking back at their principal, who was scowling and glaring. “...Uh,” George said, hesitantly, “We don’t know what y-”

“-Don’t play  _ dumb _ ,” Krupp said, “Did you think I was such an  _ idiot _ that I wouldn’t  _ notice? _ ”

“M-Mr. Krupp, why are you talking so quietly?” Harold asked, though his expression made it clear that he wanted to be doing  _ anything _ other than asking that question.

“Because,  _ Harold _ , I don’t want anyone overhearing this conversation,” he replied, teeth clenching. “It’s bad enough some of the staff’s seen me with only my  _ underwear _ \- I don’t  _ need _ them to know about this - this -  _ whatever this is _ , too.”

The two friends exchanged brief glances again. “...Fair enough,” George mumbled. “But- how did you even find out-?”

“Ugh, don’t even ask me for specifics,” he said, rubbing his temple, “I’ve been trying to wrap my head around this whole thing for  _ four _ days. Which, might I add, is why I was trying to  _ avoid _ dealing with you two.”

“Again, fair enough,” George said.

“But that...that doesn’t really answer the question,” Harold pointed out, “ _ How _ did you find out?”

“...After reading through the comics you made, and after piecing a  _ few  _ things together,” he said lowly, “It wasn’t incredibly  _ difficult _ to figure it out.”

“...Oh,” was all Harold said.

“...So,” Mr. Krupp decided to (again, quietly) speak up after a few moments of tense silence filled the room, the man wheeling himself a little closer to the desk and folding his hands on top of the papers, “Do you care exactly  _ how _ that happened?” The boys opened their mouth to speak. “Wait, nonono- I don’t care about the ‘how’. What I  _ actually _ want to know is the  _ ‘why’ _ .”

“...W-...well,” Harold stammered hesitantly, giving a look over at George.

“We...we did it because-”

“-Because you were going to put us in separate classes.”

“ _ Really? _ ” Mr. Krupp said, in a tone that sounded calm but was  _ definitely _ angry that made a slight shiver go down the two’s spines. “So, your solution to trying to stop me from doing that was to make me constantly blackout, and turn into some fictional character of yours?”

“We - we didn’t think it’d be permanent or anything-” Harold tried to explain.

“So it  _ is _ permanent?” The principal’s scowl deepened, and the blond sunk in his chair, realizing he’d likely confirmed a suspicion the man had had for a while now.

“Mr. Krupp, honestly, we wouldn’t have done something like that to you if you hadn’t have-”

 

_ CRASH _ .

Both boys jumped out of their chairs with startled yelps, instinctively holding each other at the loud noise. Their principal had suddenly stood up and slammed his hands on the desk, which, in turn, sent it straight through the floor.

All three of them stared at the hole that was now in the floor and leading to the ground level. While the boys had quickly caught on that Captain Underpants’ abilities were likely still present in Mr. Krupp, one glance at their principal’s shocked expression quickly told them that  _ he _ hadn’t been aware that he could do that. The two friends, still holding each other, stared at their principal wide-eyed for another moment. They watched as their principal stared down the hole for an extra beat before sighing, and sitting back in his chair, slumping in it as he buried his face in his hands.

“...Get out,” Krupp said, the words muffled from his hands.

Both of the boys’ brows furrowed in a concerned manner. They’d yet to really see their principal seem so... _ exhausted _ . “...Mr. Krupp-” Harold had attempted to say in an attempt to apologize.

Mr. Krupp, however, promptly snapped his head up, teeth bared, and yelled, “GET OUT!” The boys flinched. “GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!” The boys fled. The man took a few breaths before once again leaning back in his chair, running a hand down his face.

“Did you call m-” he suddenly heard Ms. Anthrope’s monotone voice from the door, which, he guessed, was cut off after she witnessed the large hole in the floor.

“...I need an order on a new desk,” he muttered, and, after another look at the hole, added, “...And, uh...a flooring contractor.”


	2. Touch-starved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Krupp's absolutely weak for physical affection & Edith's always been willing to give it.

Although he’d never admit it, Benjamin Krupp was, for all intents & purposes, a rather touch-starved man. Likely not surprising - he’d lived on his own for years with extremely minimal company (that is to say, next to none), & didn’t at all consider himself as the type of person who even remotely liked physical contact, let alone appreciated it.

It wasn’t too long after he’d begun dating Edith that he’d been proven completely wrong.

 

He must’ve first realized it the first time they held hands - his practically engulfing hers - & she gently ran a thumb over callous knuckles, scarred from bad, anger-related biting habits from his younger years. There had just been something about how her hands were soft & gentle -  _ careful _ . As if she was afraid of him breaking if she was anything but. Well, he never broke, but he sure did nearly crumble when she’d once reached to cup his face - fingers brushing against his cheeks when she hesitated before placing them on either side of his face - & promptly placed a light peck on his lips. It was fleeting - for him, anyway - & if he hadn’t instantly become a flustered mess, he probably would’ve asked to do it again.

Not that he ever needed to ask. Edith was pretty generous when it came to giving him light smooches; on his lips, his cheeks - on the various bruises scattered across his person & the injured knuckles that he often woke to after blacking out.

Speaking of which, he once recalled waking from a blackout in underwear & his office curtain, as usual, wounded, also as usual, & found himself getting drenched in the rain, droplets stinging his already aching form. He hadn’t paid much attention to that, though - he was more aware of the woman that clung to him, balling that makeshift cape in her fists. Odd & even slightly embarrassing situation aside, he’d found himself leaning into that touch for a moment before she’d pulled away to look him in the eye, her own blue ones wide with worry (not that he blamed her) before she wrapped her arms around his neck & gave him a genuine kiss - very much unlike those small, tender ones she typically gave - that lasted moments longer than he’d expected. He never did ask what had prompted such concerned passion, but he never felt obligated. After all, he wasn’t at all complaining.

 

It wasn’t just the kisses he enjoyed, though. The hugs had always been nice - how she always gave that tiny squeeze that nearly made his knees weak, how she buried her face in the crook of his neck. He hadn’t realized it yet, but he’d developed a habit of returning the favour, always leaning over to do so & always sighing in her silky hair.

Sometime after they’d begun inviting each other over to their respective homes, he’d found that cuddling was also valued in his books. She always made it seem so casual - they could just be relaxing on a couch watching tv, with him leaned back & her leaning on his side, his arm wrapped around her; or the two lying down, with her lying on top him. Once, after a particularly frustrating & rough day at work, she’d had him lay his head in her lap, & god, he couldn’t recall how many hours they’d stayed like that - nor could he recall how many more hours he’d have been willing to continue to stay in that position.

There’d been another incident involving waking up from a black out - though, it hadn’t been quite  _ as _ humiliating. He’d been in the privacy of his own home - save for Edith, who’d set a glass of water aside before offering him a neatly folded pile of clothes that he gladly accepted. He’d was aching & bruised which, of course, meant several soft smooches before a light, but lingering one on his lips, before Edith pressed herself close to him, closing her eyes & sighing with what almost sounded like relief. She fell asleep like that, likely exhausted from whatever worry he’d given her. He was extra careful in shifting his position, trying his hardest not to wake her, & when he  _ had _ gotten settled in his new position, his heart skipped a beat when she’d stirred & snuggled closer to him. He gave a small exhale through his nose, wrapping both arms around her gently - & he could’ve sworn he saw a small smile when he did so - & relaxing, closing his eyes & drifting off as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im soft dont look at me,


	3. This is Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you can turn into a superhero at the snap of a finger, there’s no such thing as a perfect time for big life changes.

Ben couldn’t, for the life of him, remember when he’d bought the ring. He wanted to say seven months ago, right near the beginning of the school year when the weather was still warm, albeit cooling down, but he couldn’t be certain. It was hard to be certain when one blacked out frequently and had difficult in keeping track of how much time passed between when one was filling out paperwork at their desk and waking up in his underwear, wet, aching and bruised.

When he’d finally decided to just buckle down and buy them, he’d told himself that he’d wait for the perfect time to present it to Edith. After all, proposal was, ideally, something one got to do only once - and for a lady as wonderful as her, who somehow managed to put up with him for three years and, with not the slightest bit of exaggeration, made him the happiest he’s ever been, he believed she’d deserved that moment to be nothing less than perfect.

That was seven months ago - again, he  _ believed _ it was; he couldn’t be sure - and he still hadn’t found that ‘perfect time’. Seven months spent trying to plan for this romantic moment - seven months  _ hindered _ because every time he thought things were going to go perfectly, someone snapped their fingers to the sound of music, or some monster decided to arrive with crashing footsteps, or a villain showed up laughing maniacally.

Seven months spent trying to get this  _ just _ right.

Seven months - he failed.

 

It was in the middle of April. He had been working at Jerome Horwitz - as per usual - and Edith, having been sick with a cold, stayed at home rather than working in the cafeteria. He had been doing paperwork the entire time - admittedly, the day had been slow. Then he - well, honestly, he couldn’t quite remember if there’d been a threat and he did the change to himself or if someone just snapped their finger to grab someone’s attention or what, but he  _ did _ know that, either way, he’d blacked out again.

And then he awoke in the rain - because, of course, mid-April meant lots of it - and found himself in the usual position: in his underwear, wet, aching and bruised. George and Harold were nearby, looking at him apprehensively. (God, the two had graduated from elementary just last year, yet he  _ still _ had to deal with them from time-to-time. A part of him almost wondered if they were just as sick of it as he was.) He simply asked which direction to go to his house. They pointed. He thanked them and all three called it a day.

He’d gotten used to waking up like -  _ that _ . To the point where his days of freaking out and feeling humiliated over waking up in such a state were past, and he learned to ignore the stares and avoid the cops on his trek back to his home.

 

When he’d walked through the front door of his home, Edith was curled up on the couch in a blanket with the TV on the news channel - which, of course, was talking about Captain Underpants and his latest victory - and beside her, there were towels, gauze, and a new, folded set of casual, comfortable clothes. And he knew if he looked in the freezer, he’d probably find she put an ice pack in there, too.

It was almost kind of sad how, after three years, this was considered standard procedure.

(Okay, more like it  _ was _ sad.)

Brief greetings were exchanged, he cleaned and patched himself up, got changed and finally found himself sitting on the couch by her feet, a sigh escaping through his nose as he leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment. He felt a shift next to him, making him glance over for a moment to see Edith grabbing the remote, giving a small sniff as she changed the channel.

“...Sorry you had to get up, honey,” he eventually muttered, referring to all the stuff she'd laid out for him. She merely gave a shrug.

“It's alright. I needed to stretch my legs anyway.” She shifted again, leaning back on the couch herself. “Been stuck on this couch all day.”

“Sounds fantastic,” he joked, earning a small laugh from the lady, the noise only sounding strained because of her sore throat.

“Not nearly as excitin’ as your day,” she joked back.

The man gave a short laugh. “ _ I’ve _ been doing paperwork all day.”

“If you did paperwork, then these are quite the paper cuts.” She leaned towards him, freeing an arm from her blanket and extending a hand, gently brushing her fingers on a slice along his cheek, which had already dried. He gave a quiet hum, and she removed her hand and placed a soft kiss on the wound, then leaned her head on his shoulder with a small sigh. “...You alright?” she asked quietly.

“Peachy.”

“You need anything? Tea?”

“Only thing I need is you here with me.”

She gave a quiet laugh, cut short by a brief cough. “I can do that.”

 

He wasn't sure how long they'd sat together on that couch, saying little and quietly enjoying each other’s company. It was when some movie had come on some time ago and reached a proposal scene that he'd straightened himself slightly, a thought hitting him. Edith, having felt him shift, looked up.

“Still good, sweetheart?”

“Uh...yeah, yeah, I’m…” he trailed off, gaze finding its way to the floor. He stared for a moment, aware that those blue eyes were still looking at him, before giving an indication that he was going to stand, making her lean away so he could get up. “Just give me a minute, Edith.”

“Oh - ok.”

“Uh- need anything while I’m up?” She shook her head. “Alright - I’ll be back.”

“Take your time.”

He headed to their room, and she’d waited patiently, watching the TV while he was gone. He eventually came back into the living room, picked up the remote and shut off the TV. She blinked, and right as she opened her mouth to ask him what was up, he presented the ring. She stared for a moment, then covered her mouth in surprise.

“Ben, oh my god…”

“I - I’ve been meaning to give this to you  _ much _ earlier-”

“How long have you had this?”

The question made him give an involuntary laugh, a hand clutching the side of his head. “I-I don't even know.  _ Months _ , I guess.”

“Oh, Benny-”

“I know this probably seems like random timing, a-and I was gonna try to actually make this special-”

“Ben-”

“-But I don't think I’ll ever get the chance because things keep getting in the way-”

“Benny-” She stood up.

“-And I just- I can’t keep waiting-”

“-Benjamin!” She cupped his face with her hands, making him snap out of his nervous rambling at once. “Ben, this is special enough, ok?”

“But-”

“Hush. This is enough. I don’t need some fancy proposal. I hope you know that.”

He was quiet for a moment, before giving a silent sigh through his nose. “I know,” he mumbled, placing a free hand on one of hers, “I just- I really wish I could, ‘cause you deserve it. But here it is, god knows how long, and here I am, bruised, and here you are with a cold-”

“-And it’s enough. I’m perfectly happy with this.” She paused, then gently plucked the ring from his hand. “And by the way - the answer’s yes.”

A moment passed, and a smile crept onto his features, his shoulders giving a light shake with a contained chuckle, and leaned forward to place a kiss on her lips, which she gratefully received, wrapping her arms around his neck.

The perfect time he had wanted was never going to happen - or, at least, wouldn't come in a long, long time - but this...this still was perfect. Because Edith was there, and she was with him, and even though he’d probably catch a cold after this - between the rain and kissing someone who was sick - it- it was enough.

This was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i apologize if the end of this came off as a little rushed. i had the dialogue imagined in my head a while ago but unFORTUNATELy i forgot how a lot of it actually went rip


	4. A Tough Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edith is expecting - & Krupp has a bit of a breakdown.

When Edith had broke the news that she was pregnant, Ben had been happier than he’d ever thought he’d be in his life.

And at the same time, he’d never been more terrified.

Almost immediately after she’d told him, he’d began worrying over the idea of being a parent with a situation like his. There were so many possibilities for error, so many problems, so many things that could go  _ wrong- _ and immediately he knew he had to solve this, he knew he had to find a solution for all of these possible bad outcomes-

Edith noticed two months in.

 

“Benny?”

“Yeah, hon?”

“Is...is everything alright with you?”

He paused. Not a good sign. “Yeah, I’m good. Why?”

“It’s just that you’ve been seeming...anxious lately.” He was silent. “...Is it about the baby?”

“Pardon?” He sounded taken aback.

“The baby. Are you starting to have doubts, or-?”

The man, who’d been sitting, immediately stood up. “No! No, no, it’s not- I’m not-” He took some steps towards her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. “It’s not like that. I want this kid as much as you do.”

“...But?” She raised a brow. He opened his mouth, and she promptly pointed a finger. “Don’t say ‘but what’, now. You can tell me what’s up. I won’t be mad.”

He took a small breath in before exhaling it in a sigh. “I know you won’t,” he mumbled, running a hand down the side of his face, “But I know you’re not gonna like it either.”

“Try me.”

He went quiet, removing his other hand from her shoulder as he turned his back to her, trying to figure out how to phrase it. She waited patiently, hands folded in front of her, and he eventually turned back around to look at her. “I- It’s just- I’m definitely happy to have this kid. Don’t get me wrong.”

“Mhm.”

“But I’m just- I’m a little- I’m scared. Alright?”

“Scared of…?” She waited expectantly for an answer, and he opened his mouth to give one, but shut it, another sigh escaping his nose. “Spit out your words before you choke on ‘em, Ben.”

He mumbled something.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I said,” he said, his voice a smidgen louder but not by much, “I’m scared about...you know…” He lifted a hand and placed his fingers as if he were about to snap them (though of course he wasn’t actually planning to).

“...Captain?” He hesitated, then nodded. “...You’re scared of how he’ll be as a parent.”

“I’m scared of how he’ll affect  _ me _ as a parent,” he corrected. “I-I mean, come on, wh-what if you’re out, I’m watching the kid then suddenly I hear a snap from- from the TV o-or outside, and suddenly he goes out the window and leaves our kid alone?”

“He wouldn’t do that.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Ben, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t do that.”

“You don’t know that!” he repeated. She crossed her arms and frowned. “Don’t give me that loo-  _ look _ , I’m sorry - you know him better than I do,  _ yes _ . But tell me - has he ever taken care of an infant before?”

“No, but-”

“Then how do we know he’d actually take care of  _ our _ kid?”

“I’m sure if we gave him time and helped him understand, we might be able to make sure he doesn’t do anything bad-”

“But I don’t wanna take that chance!” It was rare he ever actually raised his voice, so it surprised both of them when he did. Sighing again, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry, Edith-”

“Hey, it’s ok. I understand.” She went over to him, and took his hands into her own. “You want to make sure our baby’s safe, and you don’t want to risk anything. I can respect that.”

“...There’s a little more to it than that.” She raised a brow. “...I...may have been...looking up how to possibly...reverse hypnotism.”

Her mouth opened in shock, making his lip form a tight line as he inwardly cringed at himself. “...Oh, Ben.”

“I know, I know, it’s-” He pulled his hands away from her, once again turning his back to her. “I know you like him - I know a  _ lot _ of people like him - and I know people need him, a-and it’s selfish and I  _ know _ , but- but it’s still  _ my _ life. I shouldn’t  _ have _ to be stuck worrying about when I’m going to black out. I shouldn’t  _ have _ to worry that I’ll abandon my  _ own child _ and not be able to stop myself. I shouldn’t- I- I…” He’d turned, had seen the lady in the corner of his eye, looked up and trailed off when he’d seen that concerned look on her face. The room filled with silence, and he eventually found himself sitting back down in the kitchen chair again, staring at the ground. “...I know it’s selfish,” he muttered, “But I hate feeling like I’m...being held  _ hostage _ in my own skin.”

 

Edith couldn’t help but give him that troubled look, though she eventually averted her gaze, trying to think of what to say. “...I...I can’t imagine what that’s like,” she started. When he didn’t reply, she continued, “But...I guess it probably is hard. Havin’ to wake up like that all the time.” He merely gave a soft hum. She took a breath through her nose, and made her way over to him. She stood behind his chair, and placed her hands on his shoulders, feeling the tense muscle relax slightly at her touch. “...And I hope you know...there is a part of it that breaks my heart.” He turned his head slightly to look at her in the corner of his eye, seeming surprised. “I hope you know that I never like seeing you hurt like that.” Pause. “And...as much as I like Cap...I just wanna say that you’re right.”

“...Pardon?”

“You’re right. About how it’s your life.” Silence. “I know you never asked for him. I know there’s probably a part of you even now that doesn’t really want him.”

He paused for a moment, then shifted his gaze back to the floor again. Because she was right. Although during the years he and Captain Underpants had been aware of each other, they’d learned to somewhat get along, there was obviously still a part of him that didn’t want him around if he was so easy to want to get rid of him.

“...Look, Benny. It’s up to you what you do. But just- hear me out for a moment.” He once again turned his head slightly, and she paused, trying to find the best way to phrase it. “...I always believed that you and Cap were the same.”

He gave a light, amused huff. “I’m sorry?”

“Hush. Let me explain.” He shut his mouth and gave a nod. “Obviously, you two are like night and day. That’s a given. But I do know that you and him are capable of being able to care about the same thing.” He raised a brow. “And- and what I mean by that is- well- you two both...seem to care about me an awful lot.”

“...I’ve never seen how he’s treated you.”

“Well,” she said with a sigh, “Considerin’ I’m still standing here, I’d say he’s treated me pretty good.”

This made him turn around to look at her. “Wait, he’s had to  _ rescue _ you?”

“Of course he has, but that’s a story for later. Turn back around, I’m not done.” He hesitated, giving her an uncertain look, but followed her request. “My point is, hon, I think...I think if we- if  _ I _ guided him in the right direction, I think he’d care about our baby every little bit as much as you would. I think he’d be caring, and protective, and-...” she trailed off a bit, then, carefully, removed the toupee that rested on her husband’s head, putting it on the table, and placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head, before mumbling, “I think the  _ both _ of you would actually make good dads.”

He remained quiet, taking in every word she was saying, then shook his head. “...What do I do?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. There was no response at first, then he heard her move from behind the chair to beside it, and felt her take his hand into hers, running a thumb over rough knuckles that had suffered way more abuse over the past few years than they had in his whole life.

“...Do what you have to,” she answered decisively. “Do whatever you think will be best for our child.”

“...What if you don’t like the decision?”

“Well, it’s not exactly about me, now is it?” He didn’t verbally answer, but his expression made it clear he couldn’t quite argue with that. “Besides that, though - I’ll still support you. Especially since I know you’re just trying to think about what’s best for your family.”

The room fell silent again, and eventually she’d stood up. “Come to the living room with me?”

“Um...give me ten,” he murmured in response. She nodded, and headed off. For the umpteenth time in the past fifteen minutes, he sighed, leaning forward in his seat, hands folded and gaze on the floor, and began seriously pondering his decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, believe or not, when i originally imagined this scenario, i actually had krupp make a final decision! however, i shall not say what it is because i think it's better with the ambiguous, 'up to you' ending aha-


End file.
